Lower raceway for button-fastening machines.



E. D. MORGAN.

LOWER. RACEWAY FOR BUTTON FASTENING MACHINES.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 22, 1912.

1,070,1 63, Patented Aug. 12, 1913.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFTQE.

EDW'ARD D. MORGAN, OF WALTHAM, IMASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR TO HEATON-PENINSULAR BUTTON FASTENER COMPANY, OF BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS, A

CORPORATION 0F MAINE.

LOWER BACEVV'AY FOR BUTTON-FASTENING MACHINES.

T0 aZZ whom it may concern Be it known that I, EDWARD D. MORGAN, acitizen of the United States, residing at Waltham, county of Middlesex,State of Massachusetts, have invented a certain new and usefulImprovement in Lower Raceways for Button-Fastening Machines, of whichthe following is a specification, reference being had therein to theaccompanying drawings.

In button fastening machines, especially those in which wire is used forthe button fastening, there is usually provided an upper race way and alower race way for the buttons, the buttons passing first through theupper race way and thence into the lower race way, from which they aredelivered to the button fastening mecha nism. This lower race way isusually provided with a grooved way for the eye of the button and with acover which extends over the heads of the buttons with just suflicientclearance above the heads of the buttons for the greater part of thetravel to not interfere with the passage of the button, but set downclose enough to prevent the buttons from jumping out of the race way.The said race way is pivoted at its up end, its lower end being held bya tension spring so that it will bear against the lowermost button witha slight pressure which will yield to the downward pull upon the buttonby the feeding of the wire. As ordinarily constructed, there is noadjustment of the cover to adapt it to buttons having differentthicknesses of heads, and it is customary whenever a change is made inthe size of the buttons being used to substitute another cover which isso constructed as to stand at a greater or less elevation above the raceway according to the change in size of the buttons. The object of thepresent invention is to provide an adjustable cover and means foradjusting the same to adapt it to buttons of different sizes, so thatthe same cover may be used with buttons of different sizes.

The invention will be fully understood from the following descriptiontaken in connection with the accompanying draw ings, and the novelfeatures thereof will be pointed out and clearly defined in the claimsat the close of this specification.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed June 22, 1912.

Patented Aug. 12,1913.

Serial No. 705,224.

In the drawings,Figure 1 is a side elevation of the lower race way of abutton fastening machine embodying the invention and showing broken awaya portion only of the body of the machine sufficient to illustrate theinvention. Fig. 2 is a plan of the parts shown in Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is aside elevation of the device shown in Fig. 1 showing the cover adjustedfor buttons of larger size than those in Fig. 1. Fig. 4 is a sideelevation showing a modified form of the invention.

Referring now to the drawings-1 represents the lower race way providedwith side flanges 2-2, as usual, for securing it to the frame of themachine and having the face 3 of the lower portion of the lower race wayof a little steeper descent than the face i of the upper portion of thelower race way. The race way is provided with the usual groove toreceive the eyes of the buttons 5. The heads only of the buttons areshown in the drawings, as it will be readily understood how the eyes ofthe buttons travel in the groove, while the heads rest upon the top orface of the race way.

A cover 6 which extends over the race way has open sides, as usual, andis provided at its rear end with a pair of ears 7 which straddle therace way. Each of said ears is pivoted to a lever S by a pivot screw 9,so that the said cover may be turned up on its pivot. The lower end ofthe cover is also provided with a pair of downward extending ears 10which straddle the race way. A spring 11 normally holds the lower end ofsaid cover against being lifted except under upward pressure. Anysuitable form of spring may be used, the spring shown being secured tothe race way at one end by a headed pin 12, the other end of the springbeing bent to engage with the top of the cover. A pin 13 prevents thespring from turning on the pin 12 when the forward part of the spring ispushed up by a lifting pres sure on the lower end of the cover, so thatwhen the cover is lifted the said spring will be given tension torestore the cover to its normal position when the lifting pressure isremoved.

The lower ends of the side ears 10 rest upon wedge plates 14 which aresecured to the side flai'iges 2 of the race way. These wedge plates areeach provided with an eX- tension 1i" formed with an elongated slot 15,through which extends a clamping screw 16 which secures the wedge plateto the side flange. By slackening up the clamping screws 16 the wedgeplates may be adjusted so as to change the elevation of the lower partof the cover with regard to the race way.

The lovers 8 are secured to opposite sides of the race way by screws 18which pass through elongated slots 19-19 in the levers, the inner endsof said screws engaging with tapped out holes in the sides of the raceway. By setting up the screws 'lS-1S so that the heads bind against thesides or the levers the said levers willv be clamped against movement.By loosening said screws 1S18 the levers 8 may be IHOVGd longitudinallyas limited by said elongated slots thereby carrying the coverlongitudinally either forward or back, and also said levers may beturned up or down on said screws as pivots so as to elevate or depressthe rear ends of said levers, thereby rais..1g or lowering the rear endof the cover within a limited. extent, so that said cover may beadjusted both longitudinally and in elevation by means of said levers,and then by setting up the clamp screws 18 again the said levers will beclamped in their adjusted positions, thus retaining the cover in itsadjusted position. It the cover is to be set for a larger size buttonthan tor which it has previously been adjusted, the cover should beelevated. On account of the change in shape it should also be movedforward. 13y moving it forward it will increase the height of the spacebetween the more sloping forward portion 3 ot the rate "ay and thecover. When the cover is adjusted by means of the levers, as justdescribed, the wedge plate should also be adjusted so as tocorrespondingly vary the elevation of the lower end of the cover. It thespring 11 be disengaged from the cover of the race way the cover is freeto be turned entirely back on its pivot it it is desired for any reasonto gain free access to the race way for clearing it out or any otherpurpose.

In the modified form of construction shown in Fig. 4t the adjustinglevers are somewhat different in construction from the lovers 8 alreadydescribed. levers 81 shown in the modified form are each formed wit-h acircular head 20 which The adjusting turns in a curved bearing 21 incars 71 of the cover 6, the construction otherwise be ing substantiallythe same as the device shown in Figs. 1, 2, and 3. In this form ofconstruction the adjustment may be readily made both in elevation andforward and back, as already described.

The invention is adapted for use on race ways employed with both powerand hand machines.

What I claim is:

1. In combination with a button raceway, a raceway cover, levers havingpivot and elongated slot connection with said race ay and a separatepivot connection with said cover, so arranged that said levers may beturned to swing said cover outwardly from the raceway and longitudinallywith relation to the raceway.

2. A button race way for a button fastening machine, having a race waycover, levers to which said cover is pivoted, means whereby said leversmay be varied. in position with relation to the race way, therebyvarying the position of the cover with relation to the race way, meansfor clamping said levers in their adjusted position, and wedges wherebythe elevation of the forward part of the cover with relation to the raceway may be varied.

8. A button raceway having a cover, an adjustable pivot connectionbetween the raceway and the rear part of the cover, and. adjustablewedge mechanism whereby the distance of the forward part of the coverfrom the raceway may be varied.

t. In combination with a raceway, a aceway cover, levers having pivotconnection with said raceway and the rear part oi? said cover, arrangedso that the elevation of the rear end of the cover with relation to theraceway may be varied and adjusted, and independent means for adjustingthe elevation of the lower end of the cover with rcla tion to theraceway, said lower end of the cover being rigid with the said pivotedup- EDWARD I). MORGAN.

Witnesses WILLIAM A. COPELAND, Anion H. MORRISON.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. (1.

